Siblings share experiences in Ghana

By Carl Schwaber

For Derby Academy alums Kelsey (Class of 2002) and Tom (Class of 2004) Jordan, a trip to Africa had been a longtime interest that was realized this past summer during their month-long stay in Ghana.

The siblings, who hail from Duxbury, returned to Derby recently to share their experiences with students and faculty in a video presentation in the school’s Larson Hall auditorium.

The New York City-based organization that placed the Jordans in Ghana last summer is known as Cross Cultural Solutions and is affiliated with the United Nations. Kelsey and Tom were among approximately 30 volunteers who came primarily from the United States and Canada.

Kelsey worked with patients in a local hospital, and Tom taught basic English and mathematics skills to some 40 students ages 1 to 7 in a local orphanage. During the afternoons, the two studied the local language, Ewe (pronounced ay-way). They learned how to dye fabric and toured the environs of the local village. They hiked, explored caves, visited a monkey sanctuary and spent time at Wli (pronounced vee-lee)— the largest waterfall in West Africa.

“I am very glad I went on this trip, because it enabled me to receive a much different perspective on life and realize how fortunate I am to have what I have,” Tom said. “Lots of people live without running water, plumbing and electricity in Ghana and in other Third World countries. It is important that we all take steps to help these folks improve their standard of living.”

Kelsey said that the people with whom she and Tom made acquaintance “were some of the happiest people we’ve ever met. They are forced to live on less than $1 a day, and yet they don’t focus on the negative but are thankful for what they have. They don’t possess all the technical devices that we do here in this country, such as computers, cell phones and iPods, but they have achieved even more of a sense of community. The village is in fact like one big family. The people’s attitude was very inspiring to Tom and me.”

Kelsey is in her senior year at Boston University. Tom is a sophomore at College of Charleston in South Carolina. Both are majoring in psychology.